Bolting-cloth cleaner.



A. C. HIGGINBOTHAM. souma CLOTH CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED MAYZG, 1914.

Patented June 8; 1 915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET! A. C. HIGGINBOTHAM.

BOLTING CLOTH CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILEYD MAY 26, 1914.

Patented June 8, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS d7, PHOTO-811110.. WASHINGniN. D a

FEM.

ALLEN C. HIGGI N'BOTHAM, 0F CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

BOLTING-CLUTH CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed May 28, 1914. Serial No. 841,144.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ALLEN C. HIGGIN- BOTHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of Nest Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bolting-Cloth Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for automatically cleaning thecloth of flour bolting sieves and the object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby the movement of the brushes will be automatically reversed and the operation will be positive in either direction of movement.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange and construct the parts of the operating mechanism that the brushes will be compelled to move a full stroke in either direction before starting upon the reverse movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved brush operating means of this class in which the rack bar, the traveler, the dog and the reversing devices are arranged on the outer sides of the sieves where they are entirely out of the way of the flour and material in the sieves, arenot liable to become clogged and rendered inoperative thereby and moreover are exposed to view so that the attendant can assure himself from time to time that the cleaning brushes are in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for controlling the speed of operation of the brush actuating devices.

Another object of the invention is to efiect improvements in the construction of the means for carrying the brushes and by means of which the brushes are rendered independent of one another and are adapted to automatically adjust themselves so as under all conditions to bear closely against the under side of the bolting cloth and thereby increase the cleaning efficiency of the brushes. 7

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a top plan view of one of the sieves and provided with my improved bolting cloth cleaners, the bolting cloth being partly removed to disclose the construction of the cleaners. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view on a larger scale, on the plane indicated by the line aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view on the plane in dicated by the line b of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a detail elevation of one of the brush carriers and indicating the brushes thereon, the operating rod being indicated in section. Fig. 5 is a plan of the same on a larger scale than that of Fig. 1 and corresponding with the scale of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 00 of Fig. 4:.

The screen frame 1 may be of the usual or any preferred construction and is here shown as gyratory and operated by the means usually employed. Each sieve 2, of

which there may be any suitable number,

according to the capacity of the bolter, is iormed 1n sections 3. A brush carrier 4: is arranged for operation in each sieve sectlon and carries a pair of bolting cloth cleaning brushes 5. The bolting cloth cleaning de vice is indicated at 6. The brush carriers of each sieve are connected to an operating rod 7 which extends through an opening in one side of the sieve, projects at one end from the said side of the sieve and is provided at its exposed projecting end, exteriorly of the sieve, with a substantially U -shaped traveler 8.

A plate 9 is arranged exteriorly of the sieve and is secured on the side thereof through which the operating rod 7 extends and the said plate is provided with a rectangular opening 10 through which said rod also extends. The rod is engaged on opposite sides by, a pair of blocks 11-12 the former fixed and the latter movable. The said blocks are arranged in the opening 10 and the movable blocks 12 are engaged on its outer side by a spring 13. An adjusting screw 14: operates in a threaded opening in a lug 15 with which the plate 9 is provided. Said screw bears at its inner endon the outer end of the spring 13 and is provided at its outer end with a hand wheel 16 whereby it may be readily turned. The, spring operates in an opening 17 in the plate. By appropriately adjusting the screw the spring may be caused to bear with any desired tension against the block 12 so as to create any desired degree of friction between the operating rod 7 and the blocks 11 and 12 which engage opposite sidesthereof and thereby control the speed of movement of the operating rod and the brushes connected thereto.

A rack bar 18 has one end attached as at .19to the plate 9, extends outwardly from and is arranged exteriorly of the sieve and I is provided at its end, on its upper s1de,'

with reversely arranged inclined upwardly converging reversing cams 20-21. The rack teeth 27 are on the upper side of the rack bar and are provided each with inclined upwardly converging sides. The rack teeth being triangular inform the vertical arms of the traveler 8 are arranged on opposite sidesof the rack bar so that the latter serves 7 to guide the traveler and between the upper ends of the arms of the traveler is a dog 23 which is pivotally mounted at its center as at 24:. The dog has oppositely extending arms2 526which are arranged at an angle to each other and are adapted to engage opposite sides of the teeth of'the rack bar successively according as one arm of the dog or the other is so engaged. A spring 27 is also provided which bears on the central portion of the dog and holds it when either of its arms is in engaged position and yet readily permits the dog to be readily turned as to reverse it. v

Motion being imparted to the sieves in the operation of the bolter one arm of each dog will engage the rack bar of'each sieve and impart motionto the brushes in the same direction as that followed by the sieves. When the'brushes have moved to the full extent in'one direction the disengaged arm ofthe dog of each sieve will be engaged by one of the'reversing cams so as to turn the dog and cause-the previously disengaged arm to be engaged with the rack bar and the previously engaged arm of the dog tobe disengaged therefrom and hence the brushes will be caused to move in the opposite direction, the reversing cams serving to reverse the position of the dogs at the ends of the path of movement of the travelers as will be understood.

It will be observed that all of the brush actuating devices are arranged exteriorly of thesieves, out'of the way of'the flour and material in the sieve and hence are not liable to be clogged or the operation thereof rendered uncertain. Moreover the brush actuating devices, being thus exteriorly arranged, may be readily inspected to enable the attendant to ascertain positivelythat the brushes are in operation.

Each brush carrier 4 is a cross bar hav ing a central opening through which the rod 7 extends. On the center of each brush carrier, on one side thereof is a yoke 28 which is bent asshown, has itscentral portion p rovided with an opening through which the rod 7 extends and has its ends attached to the carrier as at 29. A sleeve 3O is arranged on the rod, between the carrier and the yoke and is secured to the rod as by means of a suitable set screW thereby securing the carrier firmly to the rod for movement therewith and yet enabling the carrier to be'detached from or adjusted on the red as will be required. The yoke has itscentral portion formed with oppositely extending guide arms 31 which are spaced from the carrier.

Each carrier is provided with a pair of brushes 32 the backs 33 of which are centrally'pivoted as at 34c near the ends of the carrier the pivots 34, which are here shown as screws, being arranged for movementin vertical slots 35 with which the carrier is provided. Bracket arms 36 are also secured on the carrier near the ends thereof and'extend under the same and also under the brushes. Springs 37 are secured near their centers as at 38 to the brackets and are arranged with their ends bearing under the brush heads, the said springs exerting their tension to raise the brushes so as to keep them always in engagement with the under side of the bolting cloth and the pivots 34 of the brushes adapting themto accommodate themselves to the bolting cloth so as to keep the brushes always in contact therewith and of the cloth. r v

. lVhile I have herein shown and described a preferred form of my invention I would have it understood that changes may be insure the cleaning made in the form,'proportion and construc- 5 7 tion of the several parts without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1 1. In combination with a sieve, cleaning brushes mounted for movement therein, rack bar movable with and carried by the sieve, reversing devices at the ends of the rack bar, an operating rod for'and movable with the brushes, a traveler on said rod and guided by the rack bar, a reversible dog mounted on the traveler, coacting with the rack bar to actuate the brushes and reversed 7 by the reversing devices to cause the brushes to move first in one direction and then in the reverse direction.

the brushes, and means to regulate the speed of the rod and brushes and comprislng a friction device bearing against the rod and means to Vary the frictional tension of said device against the rod.

4. In combination with a sieve, cleaning brushes mounted therein, an operating rod connected to the brushes and extending through one side of the sieve, a carrier connected to said rod, a rack bar arranged exteriorly of the sieve and connected to said side thereof, reversing devices at the ends of the rack bar, a traveler on the rod and attached thereto and a dog carried by said carrier and to engage the rack bar, said dog being reversed by the reversing devices.

5. In combination with a sieve a brush actuating rod extending therethrough, a carrier attached to and movable with the rod, brushes pivotaily connected to the carrier and arranged for vertical inovement and springs carried by thecarrier and exerting their tension to raise the brushes and yet permit pivotal movement of the brushes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ALLEN G. HIGGINBOTHAM.

Witnesses:

W. D. STEVENS, W. C. RUIAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents Washington, D. G. 

